aldeburghliving
ISSUE 004 Winter 2017
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Break. Winnow. Conch Pump Street Chocolate | Jelly Green Artist The Sailors’ Path A legendary walk | Best Bib and Tucker O&C Butcher Seahorse Cottage Scandi seaside escape | Style Edit Fur, prints and knits
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Welcome to aldeburghliving magazine THE WINTER ISSUE Living in Aldeburgh full-time, visitors often ask me if it isn’t lonely in the winter. It’s true that our population drops dramatically for most of the cold season but, as anyone who has spent time here in the winter will know, it brings some of the North Sea coast’s most dramatic months. With sea storms an ever-looming, dangerous spectacle, and the ever-changing moods of the Suffolk skies stirring the soul, it’s a different world from the August Bank Holiday lark – but one equally alluring, in its unique way. It’s a time of year when the collective vulnerability of coastal living brings a sense of connection, both with our fellow Aldeburgh-dwellers and their predecessors – and all the more reason to celebrate the true essence of this place. That sense of interconnectedness is something that will draw in anyone walking along the Sailors’ Path (see p.16). There’s something magical about winter here; its sense of distillation, restitution and, as spring comes, happy anticipation as Aldeburgh prepares to play host once more. The return of the carnivalesque, the frivolous, and a sense of refreshed vitality is never far off. But for now, batten down the hatches and read on for a new look warming winter issue to see you through the New Year – we wish you the very best of them.
Stacey Paine
COVER IMAGE Jelly Green Puzzlewood 3 152 x 183cm, 2017 Oil on Canvas
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aldeburghliving Living Publishing Ltd. 31 Fawcett Road, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5HQ Registered in England no. 10383720
Stacey Paine EDITORIAL AND DESIGN stacey@aldeburghliving.com 01728 453323 07800 566174
Nick Paine ADVERTISING AND BRAND nick@aldeburghliving.com 01728 453323 07967 508006
Emma Close-Brooks CONTRIBUTING EDITOR This magazine is free and contains no sponsored content
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Subscribe Aldeburgh Living is a quarterly magazine published in March, June, September and December. Also available online at livingpublishing.co.uk, or by email (visit the website to subscribe). To have all 4 issues posted to an address of your choice simply subscribe via our website aldeburghliving.com or by email info@livingpublishing.co.uk. A subscription is only ÂŁ19.50 a year.
Disclaimer: Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor the editor, nor its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in this publication. Aldeburgh Living does not officially endorse any advertising material included within this publication. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission of Living Publishing Ltd.
www.valedesigns.co.uk 01728 830581 Visit us at: The Workshop Forge Cottages Thorpe Road Aldringham Suffolk IP16 4QX
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contents
06 Jelly Green Inside the studio of artist Jelly Green
38 My Kingdom for a Seahorse Cottage Scandi interiors at Seahorse Cottage
14 This Season’s Diary Your guide to winter in Aldeburgh
46 Break. Winnow. Conch. Pump Street Chocolate
16 The Sailors’ Path Fables and freshwater otters
52 I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In
22 Winter Style Edit
The magic of Snape at Christmas
Fur, prints and chunky knits
26 Best Bib and Tucker Nick Paine visits O&C Butcher’s menswear department
60 Garden Design - the Thought and Process Ed Hopkins writes
32 Happenings This winter’s most important news
35 Competition Win a family portrait session with Dominic Whiten
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JELLY GREEN From a converted chapel to a tree house in the Brazilian jungle, Jelly Green has lived in some extraordinary places. The Suffolk skies have now called her home. 8 WINTER 2017
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In 2009, young artist Jelly Green was selected as a Royal Society of British Artists Scholar. Since 2010, she has exhibited regularly in London and Suffolk and in recent years has become a staple exhibitor at arts festivals and exhibitions in this special area of our coast. Her sensitivity to the essence and energy of what she paints is almost uncanny – animals and people are not simply brought to life on page or board; instead the pictures present an imprint of character and place, a truth distilled in painted form. The same can be said of her arboreal studies, delicate foliage meeting sinewy stalks and gnarled trunks with the same natural, effortless progressive flow as the real thing. Her work has depth, both visual and emotional, created at least in part by an artistic ability to see what is really there – and be brave enough to recreate it. Born in Suffolk to Australian parents, Jelly lived between Melbourne and Suffolk until the age of seven, when the family relocated to Rendham permanently. ‘Suddenly we could go anywhere, anytime – or at least that was how it seemed,’ Jelly says. ‘I think we were particularly lucky because we lived in an amazing old chapel, which also had loads of space. My parents both worked in the arts and encouraged us to paint anything we wanted on the walls, and build camps in the pulpit…it was the most magical place to be. It still is.’ In this nurturing and inspiring environment, with the support of her parents and encouragement of her sister Lily Hunter (now a sound installation artist and contemporary composer), Jelly’s love of painting bloomed. ‘I was incredibly lucky with my teachers at high school – Thomas Mills – who were so passionate about their subject. When I was sixteen I met Maggi Hambling, who saw
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some of my work and invited me to study under her once a week in London. This was an enormous opportunity for me; she is the most wonderful and generous person I know and I’m still there nine years later. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’
‘I think we were particularly lucky because we lived in an amazing old chapel, which also had loads of space. My parents both worked in the arts and encouraged us to paint anything we wanted on the walls, and build camps in the pulpit…it was the most magical place to be. It still is.’ ‘I have spent such a lot of time with Maggi, inevitably she has been a huge influence on my work. Not just my painting but also the way I approach it.’ Jelly’s more abstract oils (Water Lichen – Minsmere and Forest Floor by Night, both 2017) do have a hue of Hambling to them but with that is a particular vibrancy that is unmistakably Jelly. The pupillage has empowered her as much as it has taught her. ‘One of the best things Maggi Hambling ever told me was to make my work my best friend, to draw every day and to go to it no matter what I was feeling.’ Although a figurative painter, Jelly’s work is gently liberated from rigid constraints of form in a way that offers the viewer a window onto what is beneath; character, sense of
Jelly Green Jungle Tangle 57 x 75cm, 2015 Watercolour on paper
place, mood. The subjects of her portraits are instantly recognisable, vignettes of personalities revealed by her style. She has an eye for colour and the courage to use it, facilitating a beautifully accurate portrayal of light – particularly daylight (in her portraits) and sunlight (in her forest scenes – see Dunwich Woods (2015)) – which grounds and energises her pictures. Her hunger for new subjects and artistic freedom has taken Jelly across the world – and to unusual heights – with her paints. ‘In 2015 and 2016 I spent four months living and working in a treehouse in the Brazilian Jungle,
on consecutive painting residencies. It was an incredible experience, going into such an unfamiliar and extraordinary landscape, exploding with life and colour.’
‘One of the best things Maggi Hambling ever told me was to make my work my best friend, to draw every day and to go to it no matter what I was feeling.’ Accompanied by two large tubes of paper and as much paint as she could carry, she stayed put until she had simply used them
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Jelly Green Beyond the Tribouchina Plant 57 x 75cm 2015 Watercolour on paper
all up. ‘It’s a wonderful thing, to be in a remarkably beautiful place where you have nothing but time and empty pieces of paper.’ As well as a treehouse in Brazil and an old chapel in Rendham, Jelly has called both London and Brighton home. Nevertheless, she has found herself irresistibly drawn back to these parts and now lives in a little cottage in Darsham, with her own studio at Old Jet in Rendlesham. ‘It’s the sense of space, the huge skies. There are so many amazing woodlands to get lost in.’ For her inner explorer, there is always something new to be found here, to inspire creativity. ‘I have only recently discovered Staverton Thicks in Butley (which
I can’t believe I had never come across until now).’ ‘There are some extraordinary people here, doing extraordinary things, such as the Alde Valley Spring Festival, which I can’t imagine happening anywhere else but here,’ Jelly says. There is a sense of communal creative nurture, from the landscape and its inhabitants alike. ‘I love Suffolk, being near the sea and some wonderful woodlands. There isn’t much more I need to make me happy. I guess I love the pace.’ To see more of Jelly’s work visit jelly-green.com. Photography by Nick Ilott nickilottphotography.co.uk aldeburghliving WINTER
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Skinny Dip Health Retreat
A day spa with heated outdoor pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub and floatation pool on the Suffolk coast
Relax, catch up with friends and pamper yourself Yoga and massage
skinnydiphealthretreat.co.uk/spa Potton Hall, Westleton, Suffolk IP17 3EF
07932 278922
Discover a remarkable collection of redeveloped Victorian industrial buildings for world-class concerts, distinctive, independent shops, cafĂŠs, galleries, walks and abundant wildlife, all set against a breathtaking expanse of reeds, water and sky.
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Diary Co-op Juniors Christmas Spectacular in the Land of OZ 1st–10th December Snape Maltings Concert Hall
Christmas Wreath Making Workshop 5th December 10am–12.30pm Bruisyard Hall moatfarmflowers.com
snapemaltings.co.uk
Christmas Wreath and Centrepiece Making Workshop 13th December 10.30am–4pm Bruisyard Hall moatfarmflowers.com
Celebration of Christmas 2nd December 11am–4pm Jubilee Hall
A Christmas Recital with harpist Olivia Jageurs 8th December 5pm The Red House
aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk
brittenpears.org
Exhibition of Quentin Blake Drawings 2nd December–2nd January Objects
Jazz at the Movies: A Swingin’ Christmas 9th December 8pm Jubilee Hall
objectsaldeburgh@gmail.com
aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk
Visit Father Christmas at the Farm Throughout December Easton Farm Park
Peter Harrison’s Saturday Supper 9th December 7.30pm Brick Kiln Barn, Sibton
eastonfarmpark.co.uk
brickkilnbarn.co.uk
Christmas Weekend at Snape Maltings 15–17th December Snape Maltings (see p.52 for details) snapemaltings.co.uk
Christmas Carols 19th December 2pm The Red House brittenpears.org
Christmas Showcase of Lettering Art Through to 22nd December Lettering Arts Centre letteringartstrust.org
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Photograoh: Sas Astro sasastro.co.uk
Christmas Farmers’ Market 23rd December Snape Maltings snapemaltings.co.uk
Old Glory Molly Men 24th December 9.30pm Walberswick Bell old-glory.org.uk
New Years Eve 31st December 11.59pm Unofficial fireworks on Aldeburgh Beach
Old Glory (Molly Men) 20th January 7.30pm Sweffling White Horse
Sherlock Holmes and the Hooded Lance 1st–3rd January 7.30pm Jubilee Hall
Big Bird Cake Off 20th–21st January RSPB Minsmere
swefflingwhitehorse.co.uk
rspb.org.uk/minsmere
aldeburghjubileehall.co.uk
Aldeburgh Boxing Day Swim 26th December 11am Meet outside Moot Hall 10.45am
Tickets on Sale for Aldeburgh Literary Festival January Aldeburgh Bookshop
Film and Digital Studio Portrait Workshop with Nick Ilott 21st January Old Jet
aldeburghchristmasswim.org.uk
aldeburghbookshop.co.uk
oldjet.co.uk
Old Glory: The Cutty Wren 26th December 8.50pm Middleton Village Hall – The Bell
Friday Lunchtime Concerts 12th, 19th, 26th January Jubilee Hall
Frozen Planet in Concert 17th February 7.30pm Snape Maltings
old-glory.org.uk
snapemaltings.co.uk
snapemaltings.co.uk
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Lady Florence
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Lady Florence
THE SAILORS’ PATH An other-worldly walk through wetland, woodland and times gone by. aldeburghliving WINTER
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If you go down to the woods today – well, keep going a bit further. This extraordinary route from Aldeburgh to Snape, through ancient woodland, parkland and marsh, will blow cobwebs away and inspire the storyteller in adult and child alike. For much of the past century, the Sailors’ Path was wildly overgrown and lost to the marshes. Now part of the Suffolk Coast Path from Lowestoft to Felixstowe, it was relaunched in 2012 (largely funded by a campaign run by Suffolk Secrets) and the ghost-trodden route through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has since been open for passage, just as it was for seafarers of the past. Into the 19th century, this footpath was used by trading sailors. Having delivered their cargoes to Snape, the return sail downriver would often be impossible until the next daylight tide. Crews instead commuted on foot back to Aldeburgh (where many lived), lending the route its name. Where trade goes, smuggling follows, and all manner of Romantic tales are entwined in this historic and highly atmospheric pathway, which, excepting a few houses and the boardwalk taking modern-day pilgrims safely over the mires, still offers scenery unchanged in centuries. At around 9.5km it’s a three-hour walk (good ground with some boardwalk – a rugged buggy would manage it). From Aldeburgh, the path follows the back of Hazelwood Marsh. Into the coverts of the Blackheath Estate, with its beautiful ancient parkland, you’ll come to Blackheath Wood, home to some spine-tinglingly elderly trees, with branches ancient enough to have offered asylum to bygone ambushers or outlaws. Unreached by any sounds of traffic, walkers can stop to wonder in these transcendent, verdant, elfin glades. 20 WINTER 2017
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Glimpses of the river and Iken on the opposite bank accompany these stretches, where one can easily imagine smugglers, evading the Aldeburgh Custom House, hiding cargoes in reedbeds and marshes, landing them into Blackheath Wood, or burying them in mudflats, to be retrieved at the next low tide. Anything heavily taxed was worth smuggling, but wool, tea, tobacco and Dutch gin (‘genever’) were the main contraband goods. Illicit loads would be carried onward on foot, along the very tracks on which you stand. One infamous tale, recounted by the path’s interpretation boards, tells of Jeremiah Gardner, a customs official in the 1720s. Uncovering a cohort of smugglers, he was outnumbered; the gangsters cut off Gardner’s nose and he was lucky to live to tell the tale – but one can only wonder about the fates of those less fortunate. If you can distract yourself from fabling, or the beauty of the inland view, you might spot some Amanita muscaria (fairy toadstools) or other higher-climbing fungi adorning knobbly tree bark. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for Yellowhammers, Oystercatchers and the occasional Heron. Out into open farmland, the path then snakes back to the river through more woods, emerging over Snape Marshes and reedbeds on the northern bank, just downriver of the Maltings. Alongside Egrets and Curlews, the sharp-eyed might spot wild otters, resident in the freshwater dykes. Walkers will also have a great view of the Concert Hall and its
Snape Warren photographed in winter
resident outdoor art installations. Here, the requisitioner of the path is easy to discern: in the upper reaches, the tidal window for navigating the Alde is remarkably brief, with mudflats exposed swiftly after high water. The intrepid can ramble back to Aldeburgh (for the less so, it’s five minutes by taxi), but
first, after all that storytelling and marshstomping, lunch at one of Snape’s many eateries is irresistible – and a tankard of Ghost Ship compulsory. For futher details about the route visit suffolkcoastandheaths.org and search for ‘Sailors’ Path’. aldeburghliving WINTER
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Beautiful seasonal handpicked flowers from our farm in Dennington arranged for your wedding, event and home Growing and floristry workshops Frances Boscawen 01728 638 768 moatfarmflowers.com
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WEEKEND
G E T AWAY S T Y L E
G U I D E
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G E T
T H E
L O O K
A
Texture and contrast are key to this winter’s wardrobe. Layer up with prints, furs and chunky knits to create a look that is warm, eye catching and feels as good as it looks.
B
C
The Aldeburgh
Winter
Style Edit
A In.No Opera Tulle Top - Collen & Clare - £299 B Part Two Ivia Pullover - Fleur - £99.95 C Oui Print Trousers - O&C Butcher - £149 Model wears Barbour Shipper Quilted Jacket - O&C Butcher - £169 Dubarry Galway Boot - O&C Butcher - £329
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D
E
D Mackage Raccon Fur Coat - Collen & Clare - £750 E Marc Aurel Faux Fur Waistcoat - Fleur £295 F Alp Testa Suede Boots - Samphire - £105 G DVF Camera Bag Leopard - Collen & Clare - £197 H Pia Rossini Monroe Collar - Fleur - £39.95 I Penelope Chilvers Salva Boot - Collen & Clare - £299
Model wears Rino & Pelle Coat - Collen & Clare - £720 Belstaff Dursley Boots - Collen & Clare - £395 Mulberry Bag - Collen & Clare Southwold
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1 in 5 of our patients’ care is paid for by a gift in a will
Jill
Andy
Linda
Can you help? Our aim is to improve life for people living with progressive illnesses, and offer the best care to them and their families. People such as Jill, Andy and Linda and 2,000 others every year, but the fact is we can’t do it without your support. Next time you update your will, and after your loved ones are taken care of, please consider a gift to St Elizabeth Hospice. It’s easy to do, and a small gift can make a big difference.
01473 723600 stelizabethhospice.org.uk/legacy LEG1117
Becoming the best we can be…
ORWELL PARK SCHOOL
Leading Independent Prep School Co-educational Boarding and Day 2½ to 13 t: 01473 659225 admissions@orwellpark.org www.orwellpark.co.uk Orwell Park, Nacton, Ipswich, Suffolk IP10 0ER
Best Bib and Tucker Nick Paine visits the menswear department at O&C Butcher
Amidst the colourful medley of independent and national retailers making up Aldeburgh’s High Street is a vintage gem: 129–131 High Street. Period art deco windows frame an original glazed wooden entrance lobby, reminiscent of a culture enjoying a renaissance. Home to O & C Butcher since the early 1900s, several generations of customers have stepped across that threshold beneath the transom window. Inside is an array to leave one yearning for a world of retail all but lost to online shopping and fast fashion. A host of British, Swedish and Italian brands proffer tweeds, silks, moleskins, hand-tooled leather and pocket squares, on a backdrop of original shop fittings to catch the eye of even the most discerning of Lots Road auctioneers. Upstairs is a women’s selection to match (or, for those seeking something a little more alternative, sister shop Fleur will see you home).
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Fighting back against the material world in which we’ve all been swept up, against the mass-produced, the disposable and the soulless that have become the norm, is a reversion to integrity. The single-origin, the British-made, the bespoke, the vintage, are all growing in popularity as we collectively seek out that which exhibits true quality. Fashion choices are just another of those being driven by this movement, with fashionistas (those leading and following alike) favouring wools, silks and a celebration of shape and form. The tailored look is back on trend for the first time in a generation and, with it, its champions.
‘Our forte is wardrobe pieces that can be dressed up or down. In recent years we’ve enjoyed reinterpreting classic pieces like tweed jackets, wax jackets and checked shirts into more contemporary styles and fits.’ Established by Edward Butcher in 1884, sons Owen and Clifford joined the company
after the First World War, their contributions including the addition of the ‘O & C’. Now serving fifth and sixth generation customers, it remains a family business in the hands of a different clan, the Staceys. ‘We don’t do smart smart, no suits!’ James tells us. Versatility, no less, is the weapon of the modern man – or woman. ‘Our forte is wardrobe pieces that can be dressed up or down. In recent years we’ve enjoyed reinterpreting classic pieces like tweed jackets, wax jackets and checked shirts into more contemporary styles and fits. Think cashmere jumpers, chunky knitwear, warm shirts and beautiful tweed jackets.’ And James’ style tips for this winter? ‘Corduroy is on trend, being championed by the likes of Prada. Take the material and subtly work it into your wardrobe.’ It is for the contemporary gentleman that O & C really shines. Alongside the more mainstream British staples that have proved popular throughout the shop’s 130-year history (Barbour, for instance, and more
recently Dubarry) you can find an Italian Santinelli tweed Crombie boasting a bottle green silk lining, rich velvet upper collar and yolk-yellow felt under collar. Loake handtooled tan brogues will heel you like the best of them, accessorised with a Harris Tweed waistcoat and silk-lined flat cap. And to complete the outfit, the shop assistant slides out a beautiful wooden draw, overflowing with silk Liberty print cravats. It is a combination of traditional quality and contemporary fabrics that defines the O & C Butcher style – and underpins its success. A respect for the classic and established, in both approach and style, marries sensitivity to modernity and a playful twist on the conventional. With the crumbling of the disposable, credit-funded culture, honesty, longevity, and the heirloom have made a comeback and O & C Butcher has been ahead of the times. Devotion to integrity is a quality we should all be striving for and here we have an example of the cream of the crop. Visit ocbutcher.co.uk for more details. aldeburghliving WINTER
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Design Design || Build Build || Renovate Renovate
Chapel Properties of Woodbridge is a local construction company specialising in high quality new builds,
property
renovation,
residential refurbishments and extensions Our experienced team of builders, tradesmen and designers delivers exceptional service, overseen by excellent project management to ensure each project is delivered to the satisfaction of our clients Director Mark Crisp is a fully qualified Chartered Construction Manager and MCIOB
01394 610 526 chapelproperties.co.uk info@chapelproperties.co.uk info@chapelproperties.co.uk
Chapel Properties Properties (Woodbridge) (Woodbridge) Ltd. Ltd. Office Office 3,3, Quaypoint, Quaypoint, Station Station Road, Road, Woodbridge, Woodbridge, Suffolk Suffolk IP12 IP12 4AL 4AL -- Registered Registered Company Company No. No. 8899110 8899110 Chapel
Photograph: Adrian Smith
The Cutty Wren Old Glory are a band of Molly (or Morris) Men from East Anglia. Crossdressed, with blacked-up faces they re-enact the ancient annual ceremony of the ‘Cutty [small] Wren’ on Boxing Day. Dating back to Neolithic times it is a feast for the eyes with dancing music and firelight. A great way to end boxing day festivities. Middleton Village Hall 8.50 pm 26th December, arriving at The Bell at 9pm. Visit old-glory.org.uk for details
Happenings INTRODUCING SLATE For many years Lawson’s Delicatessen has been a much-loved institution on Aldeburgh High Street. Recent changes see it fully refurbished with a new name and a new sister shop in Southwold.
Quentin Blake Drawings
‘Our new name “Slate” encapsulates our passion for cheese and the carefully selected range of food and drink which we offer,’ Clare Jackson, co-owner of Slate says.
Objects in Aldeburgh’s High Street will be selling a very special selection of drawings by Quentin Blake this December. We cannot think of a better present for your loved one!
Pop in and experience Slate’s new-look shop and tempting selection of foods.
Visit Mariners House, 127b High Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5AR or email objectsaldeburgh@gmail.com
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Get your Tickets to the 17th Aldeburgh Literary Festival Aldeburgh Bookshop is once again delighted to present an exciting mix of talks at the 17th Aldeburgh Literary Festival 1st–4th March 2018, ranging from history, politics and biography to royalty, bees and bereavement.
Artwork: Liz Hodder
29th Aldeburgh Boxing Day Swim Take part in one of Aldeburgh’s greatest Christmas traditions with a dip in the chilly 8°c North Sea this Boxing Day at 11am (swimmers meet by the Moot Hall at 10.45am). Last year saw 125 swimmers take part, with 400 supporters on the shore. You can sponsor the event on their JustGiving page, all proceeds will go to East Anglian Children’s Hospice and Médecins Sans Frontières. Are you planning a party for 2018? Don’t forget to book Aldeburgh’s new vintage Prosecco van. proseccooclock.co.uk
Photograoh: Sas Astro sasastro.co.uk
The Festival Exhibition at The Aldeburgh Gallery will be presented by Cambridge artist, Liz Hodder. Taking the theme ‘small corners’ – cosy and warm interiors and less cosy ‘small corners’ outside – Liz has taken much of her inspiration from the Alde and Ore estuary landscape. Tickets on sale from the Aldeburgh Bookshop in January. Email johnandmary@aldeburghbookshop. co.uk to be added to the mailing list.
See in 2018 New Years Eve in Aldeburgh is an unofficial event for those in the know, with private fireworks displays firing from the rooftops and exploding from the beach. Wrap up warm; there is no better place to welcome in the new year.
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07980 151 109 01728 663 888
LANDSCAPE & GARDEN DESIGN Ed Hopkins is Suffolk’s leading landscape and garden design company, building gardens of exceptional quality and providing an unrivalled service. Please get in touch to discuss your project. EDHOPKINS.COM
To celebrate the opening of his new office at 20 High Street, Aldeburgh, Dominic is giving away a relaxed, one-hour family portrait shoot on Aldeburgh beach (worth £350). The session will include all the best photos for the winner to keep!
Win!
To be entered into our draw simply email info@aldeburghliving.com with ‘win’ as the subject. Entries close at 11pm on 28th February 2018. The time and date of the session must be booked in advance with Dominic and the session must be scheduled to take place before June 30th 2018. Terms and conditions: Living Publishing will automatically add your email addresses to its own database for marketing purposes. Your email addresses will not be shared with any companies other than Dominic Whiten. Please indicate in your email if you do not wish to be contacted by us in the future or Dominic Whitten.
EAST COAST RESTAURANT - CAFE - BAR - STORE
Serving breakfast, lunch and supper in the heart of Aldeburgh every day, with local ingredients and an ever changing menu. In the words of a recent visitor -
‘A real find and a perfect experience’
EASTCOASTCAFEANDSTORE.COM
152 High Street, Aldeburgh. IP15 5AQ 01728 454524
VOLENTE b e a u t i f u l b at h r o o m s
volentebathrooms . co . uk 01525 211955
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MY KINGDOM FOR A SEAHORSE COTTAGE Olivia Pomp and Gary Rowland give us a tour of their pocket-sized seaside escape aldeburghliving WINTER
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Gary Rowland, graphic designer, and Olivia Pomp, stylist, bought Seahorse Cottage in Spring 2017. An extensive remodelling project revitalised a somewhat dark, one-bedroom traditional cottage with a warren-like collection of interior spaces into a light, uncluttered space, free-flowing and liberating. Overlooking the iconic Moot Green with its 16th Century Hall and famous boating pond, it has one of the most idyllic vistas in Aldeburgh. A quaint frontage of painted brick, timber cladding, and lifebelt-emblazoned balcony won its exterior the honour of playing the house in the BBC children’s programme, Grandpa in my Pocket. Inside, however, the real Seahorse Cottage is far from conventional or cottagey; it’s a Scandi-chic heaven. Warm, white-washed wooden floors and textured throws meet bold graphic art prints, sheepskins and original 1960s pieces for a bright, detoxifying space in which to relax.
‘Gary designed the space and built the model, giving it light and air and a brand new kitchen.’ ‘We did a lot of work to make the house into a two bedroom/two bathroom place,’ Olivia tells us. ‘Gary designed the space and built the model, giving it light and air and a brand new kitchen.’ The result is a gloriously uncluttered holiday home – a bolthole rejecting the fuss of everyday life. Its spaces have the luxury of devotion to their purpose in a way inevitably compromised when smallspace living is required of a primary home. 42 WINTER 2017
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There’s an escapist feel of warm minimalism and simplicity. Clever furnishings – a slender bench in the entrance hall and a truckle bed in the groundfloor bedroom (a peaceful, unpretentious retreat for guests) – give a sense of flexibility and efficiency rather than economy of space. The breakfast bar creates an airy galley kitchen while the open-plan arrangement of hallway, kitchen, dining and living room is a triumph of shared space. Smooth curves lent subtly by ornaments, mirrors, stair edges, kitchen handles, Helge Sibast chairs, and an original 1960s dining table thread a fluently uniting form throughout.
“I am passionate about midcentury and Scandinavian design. All our furniture, lighting and art is hand-picked and collected from across Europe.” ‘I am passionate about mid-century and Scandinavian design,’ Olivia says. ‘All our furniture, lighting and art is hand-picked and collected from across Europe.’ Splashes of colour and geometric pattern add flavour to soft greys and whites. Tasteful objects and asymmetric forms catch the eye, along with bright art and a handful of books. There is a strong sense of everything having a purpose, the uniting intent being one of escape. On bright mornings, eastern sunshine floods into the master bedroom over its balcony, framed from within by white painted rafters. ‘It’s our beautiful little gem by the sea to escape to – read the papers on the balcony and buy the fresh fish on the beach, just a stone’s throw away.’ Olivia says. ‘We love music and the arts and Aldeburgh has so much to offer.’
Seahorse Cottage 7 Crabbe Street Aldeburgh IP15 5BW Photography by FRENCH+TYE
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C D A Rare breed sheepskins £75 available from White House Farm (not as pictured) 01728 663 531 B Selection of books Aldeburgh Bookshop C Pink Spring Throw £75 Snape Maltings D Graff Finezza Range £POA Volente Bathrooms E Shutters £POA Suffolk Shutter Company F Chindi Jacquar Carpet £225 Snape Maltings G Round Mirror £30 Snape Maltings H Range of scented candles and diffusers Suffolk Candle Company I Natural Woven Chair £195 Snape Maltings J Linen Curtains - Volga Linen
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Christmas at The Red House, Aldeburgh A Christmas Recital Friday 8 December, 5-6pm Join us for a festive-themed recital in Britten’s Library with harpist Olivia Jageurs. Tickets: £12.50
Christmas Carols Tuesday 19 December, 2-3pm Join us for a sing-a-long of Christmas carols in the run up to the festive season. Tickets: free, no booking required
Golf Lane, Aldeburgh IP15 5PZ 01728 451700 | brittenpears.org
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EINSTEIN ON ALDEBURGH BEACH During 2018 JOIN IN!
LOOKOUT 01728 452754 aldeburghbeachlookout.com caroline@carolinewiseman.com 31 Crag Path, Aldeburgh IP15 5BS 46 WINTER 2017
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Image by Jeremy Kidd (Edited)
ALDEBURGH BEACH
I C KING Ltd Painters and Decorators
Established in 1988, our friendly, reliable and experienced team provide a full decorating service to clients across Suffolk and London
Please call 01986 785281 or 07944 647553 to discuss your requirements or visit our website ickingltd.
Life | Land | Business
Whatever life brings we’re always there for you Our friendly, local solicitors are on hand to advise you on a Call 01473 611211 barkergotelee.co.uk host of legal matters, including buying and selling property, 41 Barrack Sq, Martlesham, family breakdown, making a will or developing your business. aldeburghliving WINTER 2017 47 Ipswich IP5 3RF Free parking
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BREAK. WINNOW. CONCH. Chocolate-making and bread-making have more in common than meets the eye. Each has a specialist vocabulary. Taste and texture are influenced by timing, temperature and humidity at every stage. The key? Sourcing the best ingredients, for bread and bar alike. Cocoa beans. Cleaning; sorting; roasting. Roasted shells are cracked (‘breaking’). ‘Winnowing’ next – blowing away the shell flakes, leaving the heavy beans for grinding – a two-stage process adding sugar and smoothing the chocolate paste. ‘Conching’ follows: a gentle, slow stirring, polishing – not to be hurried, important in drawing out flavour. It’s left to mature, tempered to perfect the finish and finally moulded, cooled and packaged. Among a handful of UK producers of small-batch, single origin, handmade chocolate, Pump Street is well-known for its award-winning artisan bread. Its creations are sold countrywide, served by local eateries and its highly popular flagship café in Orford. On busy Saturdays, this is run off its feet with orders for faultless buttermilk pancakes and unrivalled skillet eggs, but the coffee is so good there’s a chance you won’t notice – and the food worth the wait. In 2013 the family-run, Orford-based bakery ventured into bean-to-bar chocolate – this too finding its way to the brunch table in the form of unforgettable hot chocolate and chocolate shots. It’s an example of loyalty to self-identity and values – defined by co-founder Jo
Brennan as ‘a return to more traditional, purist methods, with sourcing and process the two keys to success’. The tagline ‘real bread and slow food’ is apt. You’re not in for a quick bite, you’re in for a bloomin’ good one. ‘It wasn’t long after Pump Street opened that I realised chocolate would be the next step for us,’ says Jo. ‘The bean-to-bar movement that had emerged in the USA shared so much with our ethos.’ Two years were spent sourcing before a single bar was sold, founding strong supplier relations in a tiny global network, trading directly with owner-operated farms in Ecuador, Madagascar, Grenada, Honduras and Jamaica. Production is tailored to beans: roasting time and temperature; conching for up to three days; maturing for up to a month. It’s a long game but the result is something you won’t encounter every day. The chocolate is glossy with a solid yet crisp ‘snap!’. Each bar has a flavour unique to bean, crop and batch – recorded on the simple, resealable packet (don’t eat it all at once). As with proper coffee – another example of the cultural taste for single origin – sampling a few different varieties is swift persuasion that Pump Street has a point. Comparing aldeburghliving WINTER
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the 85% Ecuador (every bean supplied by one farm in the Guayas basin) with the 72% Madagascar (again, single farm), the flavours are immediately engaging. The Ecuador is a deep, shiny purple-mahogany with an herbaceous undertone and a sharpness reminiscent of good, strong coffee, while the Madagascar is warmer, earthier in colour and flavour, with a smooth, fruity finish.
‘Sourcing makes it beautiful in taste and in origin. Knowing the story of the origin, the grower, and the terroir, brings the flavour to life.’ The 66% Ecuador (same farm) Sourdough & Sea Salt is a bestseller for good reason. It actually does taste of sourdough – and is moreish beyond expectation. A subtle crunch and something vastly satisfactory about the marriage of Pump Street’s two signature products, laced with a coastal, salty tang, gives this bar the edge in flavour, finish and intellect. It’s cleverly symbolic of the journey from baking into chocolate, with the briny 50 WINTER 2017
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reminder that this global project is anchored on the Suffolk coast, in Pump Street’s new ‘chocolate rooms’ at Bentwaters. A tale of admirable commitment and extraordinary devotion to quality. But is it all worth it? A host of stockists across Europe, America and Australia, the International Chocolate Awards, Academy of Chocolate and Great Taste Awards all think so; Pump Street chocolate won in over thirty categories in 2015 and 2016 alone. And there is something about this determined emphasis on quality – and the praise it has received – that restores faith in the world. It is to this that Pump Street has stayed true, taking care over every ingredient. ‘Sourcing makes it beautiful in taste and in origin,’ says Jo. ‘Knowing the story of the origin, the grower, and the terroir, brings the flavour to life.’
Bakery & Café: 1 Pump Street Orford Suffolk IP12 2LZ. 01394 459829 info@pumpstreetbakery.com.
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I saw three ships come sailing in Christmas Market
Even the most determinedly Dickensian reader would struggle to maintain an austere exterior on the banks of a wintery River Alde echoing with Vivaldi, shimmering in winter sun. For a Christmas overflowing with sparkle, it’s an atmosphere hard to beat. It’s rich in local, organic, artisan foods and boutique drinks. Music fills the air. There’s a mood of generosity and that sense of collective, nervous excitement that comes about only at this time of year – among children, over the imminent nocturnal visitation and, among adults, over the wisdom of employing that alternative but delicious-sounding cranberry sauce recipe and whether an extra case of Prosecco might be required. In Snape Maltings’ projections of the perfect Christmas, for which we are all, with varying levels of success, aiming eternally, everyone is remembered. Right down to the dog (think handmade liver cake for the all-important canine stocking and you’re along the right lines). The Christmas Farmers’ Market itself (from 9:30am, Saturday 23rd), is the place to source festive trimmings, as well as some enviable gifts. Roll up for your stocking-filler sweets; biscuits to keep the troops going through the final prep; and an extraordinary selection of locally-made, utterly delectable condiments, curds, dips, savouries and spices to add the
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finishing touches to your Christmas lunch (or, almost better, those Boxing Day leftovers and turkey sandwiches). The setting is perfect – if you know Snape, you’ll picture it immediately and, frankly, if you don’t, this is a jolly (literally) good excuse to make your introductions. The River Alde, on this occasion, is more than a picturesque backdrop and relic of the site’s trading history, bringing Father Christmas himself up to the Maltings, winding through frost-tipped reed beds aboard Snape’s resident Thames barge, Cygnet (12:30pm, Saturday 16th). House and Garden, a perennial feast for the eyes and interior design ambitions, plays radiant, fairy-lit host to the obligatory meetings with younglings. While children bargain with Saint Nick over the relevant exchanges of good behaviour for even better presents, adults can do the same among homewares dripping with glittering Christmas ornaments. This is the place to look when struggling for inspiration, or nip around the corner to an antiques emporium heaving with hidden treasures – at worst, you’ll spot something irresistible for yourself. Some Aldeburgh Living favourites can be found among the Market stall-holders, including B Chocolates, Pump Street Bakery, Red Chilli Kitchen, and the Wild Meat Company, to name but a few. There are conventional answers to a traditionally decadent Christmas – although some of the healthier alternatives are so yummy that (if you haven’t already) you might well convert. For those still present-hunting, Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival’s book Unearthed is on sale, honouring some of our county’s best craftspeople and creators (some of whom you’ll bump into here) in a collection
of recipes, tales and thoughts deserving of a place on every Suffolk kitchen’s bookshelf. For all this feasting and merriment, a weekend at Snape wouldn’t be complete without its modern raison d’etre: music. Of particular interest to readers with a nearby base is Aldeburgh Voices (the reincarnation of the Britten-Pears Chamber Choir) and The Suffolk Ensemble, sparking things up on Friday evening with a performance headlined by Vaughan Williams’ evocative Fantasia on Christmas Carols (Concert Hall, 7:30pm). Aldeburgh Voices, comprising talented choral singers from our region, holds annual auditions to uncover the very best local voices; this atmospheric performance is sure to inspire budding or dormant choristers to try out for the 2019 season. The frosting on the Christmas cake is a family treat to melt the hearts of any still feeling icy regarding the approaching Noel: Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman, in the warm and atmospheric Concert Hall (2pm and 4pm, Sunday), accompanied by a live orchestra and with the hors d’œuvre of the narrated, musical tale of Paddington Bear’s First Concert. Later, the Norwich Cathedral Choir presents a celebration of Christmas song, at the heart of which is Britten’s Ceremony of Carols (Concert Hall, Sunday, 7:30pm). If you don’t all come away fat as a Christmas goose, laden with stocking-fillers, whistling Blake and Rutter (involuntarily or not) and hoping for snow, then perhaps the only answer is for next year, head to Hawaii.
Snape Maltings shops are open Saturday 10–5.30 and Sunday 10–4. For more information visit snapemaltings.co.uk. aldeburghliving WINTER
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A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS BASED NEAR ALDEBURGH We carry out services throughout Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex
Henry Paul Construction Ltd has a wealth of building and construction experience including project management, new builds, conversions, extensions, renovations, restorations, landscaping and more. We all strive for perfection and enjoy taking a clients unique visions and building them into reality.
HENRYPAULCONSTRUCTION.CO.UK INFO@HENRYPAULCONSTRUCTION.CO.UK 01728 830222 58 WINTER 2017 aldeburghliving Leiston Enterprise Centre, Unit 22, Leiston, Suffolk IP16 4US
The new name for Lawson’s Delicatessen
138•HIGH ST•ALDEBURGH 6•VICTORIA ST•SOUTHWOLD SLATECHEESE.CO.UK @SLATECHEESE
Wentworth Aldeburgh Living half page.qxp_Layout 1 06/11/2017 13:36 Page 1
The Hotel for all seasons
£19 at TheWentworth
Throughout December, January and February* enjoy two courses (from our three course fixed price menu) in the relaxing, candlelit restaurant for just £19. *excluding party nights and Valentine’s night.
Dining out at the Wentworth this winter can be exceptional value when you take advantage of our Special £19 offer.
Offer available 6.30pm – 9pm, Monday to Friday evenings inclusive.
FOR TWO COURSES
Free wine – If your party is of four or more diners we’ll include a complimentary bottle of delicious House wine and if there are eight or more of you we’ll include two complimentary bottles of House wine for you to enjoy at the table.
To book your table please call 01728 452312 quoting ‘£19 offer’.
wentworth-aldeburgh.com
Soy candles and diffusers hand-made in the heart of Suffolk The perfect home fragrancing Christmas gift, made with clean burning natural soy wax. Available from Looma
Looma FLOWERS & HOMESTYLE
Bespoke Florist For the Christmas Season Door Wreaths, Garlands, Table Arrangements, Pot Plants and Bulbs
Fresh cut flowers available daily Homestyle We have a wide range of homestyle and gifts including products from The Suffolk Candle Company, Jersey Pottery and Theronda Hoffman We are now taking bookings / consultations for Weddings 2018
01728 454316
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30 Crabbe Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5BN flowersbylooma@aol.com
One Five Seven Antiques & Interiors 01728 454575 157 High Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5AN
WHITE HART INN 01728 453205 222 High Street Aldeburgh Suffolk IP15 5AJ
Opening Hours Mon-Sat 11.30-23:00 Sun 12:00-22:30
Pizzeria in the White Hart garden for winter events facebook.com/pizzeriainthewhitehart/
GARDEN DESIGN - THE THOUGHT AND PROCESS Ed Hopkins
Winter is a great time of year for redesigning a garden; many plants are dormant and, visually, it’s the time when gardens most closely represent a blank canvas. Designer Ed Hopkins shares his insights on achieving a successful garden makeover. Inspiration can come from anywhere. Remember this and don’t be afraid to express yourself in the garden, as you would in your home. Garden design draws on many forms of expressive art. Architecture and interior design share equal importance with horticulture; use these resources, combined with nature’s palette, to form your own style, echoing throughout your home. Setting out the framework for a new garden or feature is where environment and inspiration come together. Imagine the space free from existing planting and ornament, instead focusing on its aspect, relationship to the house, any mature trees and, if you’re lucky, views. The structure is not set by these –
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but by the prudent use of boundaries, paving, paths, lawns and borders. Creating structure in this way gives a garden division, allowing flow between areas of space and interest. Any existing features will accentuate the new design, giving maturity and a sense of establishment to the surroundings. Connecting home and garden should be a natural process. Views from house onto garden are particularly important; consider this when planning, giving special attention to areas accessing the garden. Think carefully about the places to which the eye will be drawn – ensure interest here. These viewpoints need to stimulate across the seasons and can be highlighted with formal
devices, such as mown paths through long grass, or a pair of topiary shrubs framing a door, linking the ordered home to the relative disorder of the garden. Hard landscaping is the backbone and framework on which a garden functions; get the lines and shapes of paved areas right and they will enhance the planting and features. Choice of materials is crucial. Try to limit the number of different materials; choose natural stone and brick wherever possible – they add enormous character and quality. Consider the scale of paving material and keep laying patterns simple. Gravel can be greatly effective, creating a smooth expanse of colour, which can be softened with integrated planting or formalized with brick or stone edging. The choice of straight or curved paths will depend on the style of the new design. Curved works best when following the contours of a garden, offering a sense of intrigue and space. Straight paths link separated sections efficiently and can be softened with prudent planting. Materials must be well chosen, work within the new scheme and keep tune with the surroundings. When designed and built properly, a terrace
or garden wall can be as beautiful and worthy of appreciation as a well-stocked border or specimen tree. Planting adds layers of interest over the backbone. This ‘soft landscaping’ gives the garden atmosphere and mood. It is the selection and use of plants that ensures overall success, meeting the brief and fulfilling aspirations. The style of design greatly influences plant selection; for a given style there are principles and key plants on which to draw. The inherent restriction helps limit the palette, giving the design cohesion. Most schemes employ layered planting with accent plants punctuating the theme – often repeated, these give movement and direction. Use herbaceous varieties in oddnumbered clusters – three, five, seven or more, to form key planting groups. This works in formal and informal spaces. Planting in areas of shade should echo wherever shade falls, and groups of sun-loving herbaceous plants should be dotted throughout, linking different areas. Specimen plants and mature trees can provide a focal point; mass underplanting of one or two varieties can work well. Plant bulbs here too, for an impressive spring display.
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of Aldeburgh
T: (01728) 453313 M: 07581 683 720 E: colour-magic@hotmail.com of Aldeburgh
T: (01728) 453313 M: 07581 683 720 E: colour-magic@hotmail.com
Suffolk Coast Electrician Ltd. Aldeburgh Agricultural Domestic Commercial Repairs & Gates
Rewires Indoor & Outdoor Lighting Showers, Cookers, Heating Fuse Boards Fault Finding Testing & Inspecting Fully Insured and Compliant No job too small!
01728 833118 | 07896 766719 adamblowers@btinternet.com aldeburghliving
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07770 040011
jay@sc-elec.com
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stockists
Aldeburgh Bookshop
Snape Maltings
42–44 High Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5AB 01728 452389
Snape IP17 1SP Box Office: 01728 687110 Retail Reception: 01728 688303
aldeburghbookshop.co.uk
snapemaltings.co.uk
Collen & Clare 164 High Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5AQ 01728 454976
The Suffolk Candle Company
collenandclare.com
thesuffolkcandle.co.uk
Fleur
Suffolk Shutter Company
166 High Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5AQ 01728 454822
Epsilon House, West Road, Ipswich IP3 9FJ 01473 276117
fleuraldeburgh.co.uk
suffolkshuttercompany.co.uk
Looma
Volga Linen
30 Crabbe Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5BN 01728 454316
London Showroom Studio R3, Redloh House, The Gasworks, 2 Michael Rd., London SW6 2AD London: 020 77367756 Head Office: 01728 635020 (Leiston)
flowersbylooma@aol.com
O&C Butcher
patrick@budden.net
129–131 High Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5AS 01728 452229
volgalinen.co.uk
ocbutcher.co.uk
Volente Bathrooms
Samphire
Whiteley Works, Watling Street, Hockliffe LU7 9NB 01525 211955
Snape IP17 1SP 01728 688303 snapemaltings.co.uk
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volentebathrooms.co.uk
book for 2018
A fabulous family holiday is closer than you think. Great beaches, wonderful countryside, plenty to see and do, and a choice of 500+ quality-assured holiday cottages in Suffolk’s most popular locations.
View our full portfolio at suffolk-secrets.co.uk or give us a call on 01502 722717